LAST WEEK's MEETING
RAWCS Meningoencephalocoele (MEP) Project
Last week we had Peter Gray Honorary member of RC Phnom Penh speak to us about the MEC project .
Paul had lived and worked in Cambodia for several years when this condition was brought to his attention.
MEC is a life threatening facial/cranial deformity occurring predominantly in rural/ poor areas of SE Asia but specifically Cambodia. The condition is operable but few sufferers have the means to access help.
RC Phnom Penh together with the RC Bendigo Strathdale, and in cooperation with the Children's Surgical Centre Phnom Penh, set up a RAWCS project to provide counselling and surgery for children afflicted with MEC.
More about this project at https://www.facebook.com/mecproject/
To make a tax deductible donation to this cause via RAWCS visit
Meningoencephalocoele (MEC is a an abnormal sac of fluid, brain tissue, and meninges (membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord) that extends through a defect in the skull. The exact cause of meningoencephalocele is not known. Some studies have suggested that environmental factors could play a role in causing the condition. Exposure during pregnancy to aflatoxins, toxins produced by a mold that grows in rice, nuts, seeds, and legumes, has been proposed to be a possible cause in some cases.
Meningoencephalocoele (MEC) occurs during pregnancy in the mothers womb when the skull fails to knit fully creating a fissure between the eyes in the of the nose. This allows the brain to herniate and grow through it in a sack outside the skull.
So What?
- MEC is life threatening
- MEC afflicts estimated 2-3 thousand people in Cambodia
- Most sufferers are children and young adults
- Few reach old age
What can be done?
- - MEC is operable
- Over 99% success rate
- In patient time 2 weeks – 3 months
- Some require follow up plastic surgery
What does The MEC Project do?
- Transport for patient & caregiver
- Surgery, treatment, dressings and medication
- Meals for patient and caregiver
- Multiple visits when required Pre and post operative counselling and support